Storage Architecture for Virtual Machines

1. A computing system comprising: a first virtual computing instance configured to execute on a first host; and a storage system accessible by the first host, the storage system comprising one or more units of storage for storing disk data of one or more virtual computing instances including the first virtual computing instance, the disk data including first disk data for the first virtual computing instance, wherein, responsive to a first disk access request from the first virtual computing instance, the first disk access request including a location within the first disk data to be accessed, at least one processor of the first host is configured to: generate a second disk access request based on the location within the first disk data to be accessed, the second disk access request including a location to be accessed within one of the one or more units of storage in which the first disk data is stored, transmit the second disk access request to said one of the one or more units, receive a first response to the second disk access request from said one of the one or more units, the first response comprising a location indication of the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units, modify the location indication in the first response to conceal the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units, and forward the modified first response to the first virtual computing instance as a response to the first disk access request.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the location indication is modified to conceal non-disk data locations.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the first disk access request from the first virtual computing instance, the at least one processor of the first host is configured to determine that access to the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units is not permitted when the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units includes non-disk data of the first virtual computing instance.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first response and the modified first response complies with an Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein said one of the one or more units includes the first disk data and non-disk data for the first virtual computing instance.

6. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the non-disk data comprises virtual hardware configuration data that indicates an amount of virtual RAM in the first virtual computing instance, and a size of the first disk data.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein said one of the one or more units includes only one of the first disk data for the first virtual computing instance or non-disk data for the first virtual computing instance.

8. A computer system comprising: a host configured to execute a first virtual computing instance; a storage system accessible by the host, the storage system comprising one or more units of storage for storing disk data of one or more of virtual computing instances including the first virtual computing instance, the disk data including first disk data of the first virtual computing instance; means for handling a first disk access request from the first virtual computing instance, the first disk access request including a location within the first disk data to be accessed, said means for handling being configured to: generate a second disk access request based on the location within the first disk data to be accessed, the second disk access request including a location to be accessed within one of the one or more units of storage in which the first disk data is stored, transmit the second disk access request to said one of the one or more units, receive a first response to the second disk access request from said one of the one or more units, the first response comprising a location indication of the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units, modify the location indication in the first response to conceal the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units, and forward the modified first response to the first virtual computing instance as a response to the first disk access request.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the location indication is modified to conceal non-disk data locations.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein, responsive to the first disk access request from the first virtual computing instance, the means for handling is configured to determine that access to the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units is not permitted when the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units includes non-disk data of the first virtual computing instance.

11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein each of the first response and the modified first response complies with an Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein said one of the one or more units includes the first disk data and non-disk data for the first virtual computing instance.

13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the non-disk data comprises virtual hardware configuration data that indicates an amount of virtual RAM in the first virtual computing instance, and a size of the first disk data.

14. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein said one of the one or more units includes only one of the first disk data for the first virtual computing instance or non-disk data for the first virtual computing instance.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable in a host in which a first virtual computing instance is configured to run, the host configured to access a storage system comprising one or more units of storage for storing disk data of one or more virtual computing instances including the first virtual computing instance, the disk data including first disk data of the first virtual computing instance, and wherein the instructions when executed in the host, cause the host to carry out a method of handling a first disk access request from the first virtual computing instance, the first disk access request including a location within the first disk data to be accessed, said method comprising: generating a second disk access request based on the location within the first disk data to be accessed, the second disk access request including a location to be accessed within one of the one or more units of storage in which the first disk data is stored; transmitting the second disk access request to said one of the one or more units; receiving a first response to the second disk access request from said one of the one or more units, the first response comprising a location indication of the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units; modifying the location indication in the first response to conceal the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units; and forwarding the modified first response to the first virtual computing instance as a response to the first disk access request.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the location indication is modified to conceal non-disk data locations.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein, responsive to the first disk access request from the first virtual computing instance, the method comprises determining that access to the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units is not permitted when the location to be accessed within said one of the one or more units includes non-disk data of the first virtual computing instance.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein each of the first response and the modified first response complies with an Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) protocol.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein said one of the one or more units includes the first disk data and non-disk data for the first virtual computing instance.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein said one of the one or more units includes only one of the first disk data for the first virtual computing instance or non-disk data for the first virtual computing instance.